The Intel Core i9-12980HX processor would be the real top of the range of the Alder Lake family for laptops. Until now, laptop performance fans could count on the Core i9-12900HK with 14 cores and 20 threads (6x P-Core + 8x E-Core). This future i9-12980HX or 12900HX ( the names are for the moment only assumptions ) could arrive on the second part of the current year and propose a “complete” configuration i.e. 16 cores / 24 threads.
This information is still to be classified as a rumor but it does not come out of nowhere. The 8 + 8 configuration for laptops was disclosed last year. This variation was listed on an official slide as S-BGA or H55 configuration. According to the document, the 16-core Alder Lake “mobile” CPU would target the 45-55W “Muscle” segment.
The Alder Lake-H55 chips are not really unknowns since it has already been revealed that they are technically desktop CPUs on a BGA form factor. The TDP is said to be limited to 55W, but can happily climb above 115W. This series of CPUs will be combined with the best dedicated GPUs on the market to create the most powerful laptops on the market. Obviously, we must also expect a chassis more adapted to allow a more muscular dissipation considering the TDP of the associated CPUs and GPUs.
